This invention relates to a maintenance device utilized in a two-for-one twister textile yarn processing machine having a plurality of spindle assembly stations in side-by-side relationship along the length of the machine for processing of yarn at each station as the yarn is fed from yarn supply packages carried by an adapter device and mounted in the spindle assembly, and an overhead conveyor mechanism extending the length of the machine generally above the spindle assembly stations and including spaced-apart downwardly-directed suspension holders for releasable receiving and carrying adapter devices with full yarn supply packages thereon and adapter devices with substantially empty yarn supply packages thereon to and from respective spindle assembly stations. The maintenance device is constructed for traveling to a respective spindle assembly station, removing an adapter device with substantially empty yarn supply packages from the respective spindle assembly and positioning such adapter on the conveyor mechanism, and synchronously removing an adapter device with full yarn supply packages from the conveyor mechanism and positioning such adapter device in the respective spindle assembly.
This servicing and handling is to be carried out by a largely automated apparatus, so as to be able to bridge over the relatively large horizontal and vertical spacings between an individual twisting position and a feed device constructed as an overhead conveyor for adapters equipped with fully wound feed yarn packages, with an insignificant amount of time and power consumption. According to the invention, it is essential to see that the individual steps of the operation are carried out during the exchange of tubes and packages as parallel in time as possible, i.e. synchronously.
In accordance with this invention, the maintenance device for traveling to a respective spindle assembly station of the textile yarn processing machine, removing an adapter device with substantially empty yarn supply packages from the respective spindle assembly and positioning such adapter device on the conveyor mechanism and synchronously removing an adapter device with full yarn supply packages from the conveyor mechanism and positioning such adapter device in the respective spindle assembly includes generally the following.
A housing is mounted for movement longitudinally along the textile yarn processing machine to each of the spindle assembly stations. A first gripper means is mounted in the housing for upward, downward and pivoting horizontal movement for moving out of the housing and gripping the adapter device in a spindle assembly at a selected station and moving and depositing such adapter device in the maintenance device, and for gripping an adapter device with full yarn packages in the maintenance device and moving and depositing such adapter device in the selected spindle assembly. Mandrel means including two horizontally-spaced upwardly-extending mandrels are each mounted in the housing for upward, downward and pivoting horizontal movement for receiving and supporting the adapter device with substantially empty yarn packages from the gripper means on one of the mandrels positioned within the housing and for pivoting outside of the housing and moving upwardly to deposit such adapter device on one of the suspension holders of the conveyor mechanism and returning to the position within the housing, and for receiving and supporting an adapter device with full yarn packages from a suspension holder of a conveyor mechanism on the other of the mandrels after pivoting out of the housing and moving upward to the conveyor mechanism and returning to a position within the housing for gripping of the adapter device with full yarn packages by the gripper means.
With this construction of a maintenance device, the mandrel means is adapted to move to the conveyor means, retrieve and carry an adapter device with full yarn packages thereon down and into the maintenance device while the gripper means is removing an adapter device with substantially empty yarn packages from the spindle assembly and placing such adapter device on a second mandrel in the maintenance device, so that the gripper may then grip the adapter device with full yarn packages thereon to place such adapter device in the spindle assembly, while the mandrel means is carrying the adapter device with substantially empty yarn packages thereon out of the maintenance device and to the conveyor mechanism for deposit thereon. All of these operations are carried out in synchronism for saving time of operation for the yarn package exchange by the maintenance device at the selected spindle assembly station.
Preferably, the adapter device for carrying yarn supply packages includes a lower yarn package carrying part and an upper head piece part releasably and axially connected to each other. For third type of adapter device, the maintenance device further includes a second gripper means mounted in the housing for upward, downward and pivoting horizontal movement for moving out of the housing and gripping the upper part of the adapter device and removing the upper part of the adapter device so that the lower part of the adapter device with substantially empty yarn packages thereon may be gripped and moved by the first gripper means and for repositioning the upper part of the adapter device into the lower part of an adapter device with full yarn packages thereon after such lower part has been positioned in the spindle assembly by the first gripper means.
Preferably, the mandrel means further includes a head device mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis in the housing, motor means for selectively driving the rotary head device, two separate arms each mounting one of the mandrels on the other end thereof and being releasably carried by the rotary head device at their inner ends for rotation of the mandrels therewith out of and into the housing, and lifting means positioned for engaging one of the arms when the arm positions the mandrel carried thereby outside of the housing for upward and downward movement of such arm and mandrel. The lifting means may also include a vertical rail, a tow carriage device having track rolls thereon for moving up and down the rail, and a driven belt attached to the tow carriage device and extending generally parallel along the length of the vertical rail. Each of the mandrel carrying arms and the tow carriage device preferably include complimentary coupling elements, in the form of an undercut in the two carriage device and a claw on each of the arms, so as to detachably couple one of the arms with the two carriage device when rotated to position the mandrel carried thereby outside of the housing.
The lifting means preferably includes drive means for the belt in the form of a fluid-operated piston and cylinder mechanism, a plate connected to the piston and cylinder mechanism for movement thereby in an upward and downward direction, two rotatably deflecting pulleys mounted on the plate for receiving opposite ends of the belt looped there around in the form of a tackle, the ends of the belt being secured stationary on the housing so that upward and downward movement of the plate by the piston and cylinder causes movement of the belt to effect upward and downward movement of the two carriage device. Preferably, the belt is a toothed belt and the lifting means further includes pinion rolls over which the belt is mounted for guiding of the belt. The lifting means may further include dampening means associated with the piston and cylinder mechanism and the plate for a resilient braking of the movement of the plate and thus the belt.
The rotary head device is preferably provided with diametrically-opposed vertically-extending guide rail sections and each of the mandrel carrying arms includes track rolls thereon for mounting of the arms on the rotary head device. The guide rail sections and the vertical rail are complimentary so that each of the arms may move in a vertical direction from the guide rail section to the vertical rail and up the vertical rail when lifted by the tow carriage of the lifting means.